Means for sealing joints in pressure containers



July 7, 1953 K. E. STUART MEANS FOR SEALING JOINTS IN PRESSURE CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 28, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

Patented July 7, 1,953

. MEAN-S'FOR' SEALING JOIN 'IZSZIN: PRESSURE CONTAINER-S Kenneth E. Stuart, Niagara Falls, N; Y., assignor to'Hooker Electrochemical Company, Niagara Falls, N. Y., acorporation of. New York Application February 28, 194s, Serial No. 11,9.3s"

More particularly, my invention relates toan 7 improved gasket closure. for. electrolytic alkali chlorine -cells, such as that. illustrated; and claimed in application. Serial No. 597,259, filed June 2, 1945-now Patent No, 2,447,547 issued August 24, 19 l8, of which the present application is a division.

The cell of the application referred to is of the general type of that of Patent No. 1,866,065, which is characterized by the use of a series of flat 'anodic electrodes projecting upwardly from conductive contact with a slab of low melting metal housed in the bottom closure member of the cell, and alternating with a series of hollow, foraminous, diaphragm-covered cathodic electrodes projecting horizontally from and housed in a metal liquid-retaining enclosing wall, which rests upon the bottom closure member, and has in turn resting upon it a top closure member. These closure members are preferably of chlorine resistant material, such as concrete. Asillustrated in Patent 1,866,065, the enclosing wall of the cathodic electrodes is provided with top and bottom flanges; and, as illustrated in Patent No. 2,208,778, the top and bottom closure members are provided with grooves in which are housedrope-type gaskets of circular cross section, against which the flanges of the enclosing wall are pressed to make an effective liquid-tight closure.

In the cell of the application of which the present application is a division, however the flanges of the enclosing wall are dispensed with and the closure is afiected by contact between the flangeless rims of the enclosing wall and fiat gaskets, which are shown as of the sheet type.

In the present invention, the sheet type gaskets f the parentapplication are replaced by ropetype gaskets, preferably of trapezoidal cross-section presenting aflat face for contact with the enclosing wall' rims, but with tapering sides adapted to make a wedging contact with the side walls of similarly formed grooves in the top and bottom closure members.

This construction is illustrated in the drawing, in which: I

Fig. 1 is an elevational View, to a small scale,

2 claims. (cl. 220'46) l is,anenclosingwalL'from twoopposite si'd'es of which the cathodic electrodes project hori zontally. 2 is the top closure member, preferably of concrete, and'3 the bottom closure member,

likewise shown of concrete. '4, 4 are the anodic electrodes, preferably of graphite, and 5, '5 4 the cathodic electrodes; coveredwitlra permeablediaphragm, preferably of asbestos'fib'er. 3

The fiangeless rims of the cathode enclosing wall are indicated at 6, I and the gaskets are illustrated at 8, 9. These gaskets are of course preferably of yielding or elastic material, such as rubber or rubber composition, although they may, if preferred, be formed of pressure-plastic material, provided it has a softening point sufficiently high to resist flow under the pressure of the rims, which may be 50 to 100.pounds per square inch,

at the temperature of the cell, which may be 90 0.; or of textile material, impregnated therewith.

Gaskets 8, 9 are pressed into grooves III, II re-,

spectively, which may be formed in the concrete when it is molded. The sidewalls of these grooves of the cell as a whole, partly broken away to show should preferably present an acute anglewith the vertical, so that the gasket will not tend to spring out of the groove, which would of course be awkward, particularly in the case of the top closure member. An angle of 10 to 15' degrees with the vertical, or 20 to 30 degrees opposite side walls, is suitable for the purpose.

The width of the groove and gasket is governed by practical considerations. If too narrow, o'bviously slight irregularities in the rim might pre vent it from entering the groove. For this reasonthe greatest width of the groove should be four to eight times that of the rim. This consideration, coupled with the consideration that the sides should make an acute angle with each other, calls for a groove of preferably trapezoidal or equivalent cross-section.

In the following claims, it is to be understood that by rope-type gasket is meant such a gasket as could be continuous for an indefinite .length and wound on a drum. This does not, however, exclude the possibility that it might be molded in one piece without a joint, or formed by cutting off a length and joining the ends.

I claim as my inventioni 1. In a pressure container characterized by members having flat juxtapositioned surfaces,

forming between them a joint, means for sealing said joint comprising a groove in the joint-forming surface of one of said members, said groove being of substantially trapezoidal cross section, with outwardly divergent sides, making an acute said gasket, the bearing pressure against said.

gasket being supported substantially entirely by resultant wedging pressure between the sides of said gasket and the side of said groove.

. 2. In a pressure container for retaining corrosive liquids characterized by havinga metal wall having upper and lower rims of a width limited by the thickness of said wall and lying in flat boundary planes, and by top and bottom closure members having fiat surfaces adapted tn make joints'with said rims; means for sealin said joints comprising a groove in the joint-forming surface of one of said members, said groove being of substantiallytrapezoidal cross-section, with outwardly divergent sides, making an acute angle with each other, and a resilient gasket in said groove, said gasket having a trapezoidal cross-section similar .to. that of said groove and a least Width less than the greatest Width of said groove but somewhat greater than a least width of said groove, the joint-forming surface of the other of said members being narrower than'the greatest width of said groove and adapted to bear against and seat itself on fiat outer surface ofv said gasket, the bearing pressure against said gasket being sup- I ported substantially entirely by resultant wedging pressure by the sides of said gasket and by the sides of said groove.

' KENNETH E. STUART.

,References Cited in the me er this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS,

Great Britain June 16, 193 8 

